Want to do interesting films as opposed to popular: Kunal
What's the story
Actor Kunal Kapoor, who is awaiting the release of his streaming show The Empire, says he now has the confidence to associate himself with projects that may not be popular but are close to heart.
Kapoor started his acting career with Meenakshi: A Tale of Three Cities in 2004 and has featured in films like Rang De Basanti, Dear Zindagi, Raag Desh, and Gold.
Validation
I no longer seek validation as an actor: Kapoor
After spending about 16 years in Bollywood, the 43-year-old actor said he no longer seeks validation as an actor.
"When you have experience, you become far more confident and you do not find the need to validate yourself as much. When you're starting off, there is a need to validate yourself," the actor further said.
Quote
Actors are helpless people barring the top few: Kapoor
"Over time, I found the confidence to believe in doing things that I find interesting as opposed to what will be popular," Kapoor told PTI in an interview. "Actors are helpless people, barring the top few who are very powerful," he said.
Choice
Only thing you control is the choice you make: Kapoor
"Somebody else writes the script for you, directs and edits it, gives music to it, produces and releases it. And eventually, the audience will decide whether they like it or not. So, there is a lot that is not in your hands," Kapoor said.
"The only thing that is in your hand is the choice that you make," he added.
Project
'The Empire' is a fictional account of the Mughal Empire
This is why, the actor said, he chose The Empire, a fictional account of the Empire of the Moghuls, as his next project because he was fascinated with the plotline and his character arc.
The show is based on Alex Rutherford's novel Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North and will see Kapoor play the role of Mughal Empire founder Babur.
Premiere
'The Empire' will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on August 27
The Empire is created by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Mitakshara Kumar.
The epic drama show boasts of an ensemble cast, including Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, Dino Morea, Aditya Seal, Sahher Bambba, and Rahul Dev.
The Empire, produced by Advani's sister Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani under their banner Emmay Entertainment will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on August 27.
Information
Up next for Kapoor is a biopic as a producer
Up next for Kapoor is a biopic on Luger Shiva Keshavan, the country's best-known Winter Olympian, as a producer. The film, which will get into pre-production, will hopefully roll next year.